


Stranger

by akanezora



Series: Stitches [1]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 22:46:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5067547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akanezora/pseuds/akanezora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I told you not to call me Erik.”</p>
<p>“And I told you to call me Hoffi.”</p>
<p>“No way.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> It's another story everyone.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> Everything in this story doesn't have a relation whatsoever with the real players.  
> It's pure imagination.

A boy rushed towards the school infirmary. He has brown hair and dazzling eyes. He looked frantic and clutched his left wrist. He knocked at the door and met with fellow student.

“Hey, I’m Jonas Hofmann. May I ask where is the nurse?” the boy asked hurriedly.

“She’s out for awhile. What happened?”

Jonas cursed his luck and decided to tell the student in front of him. “I fell from my bike and I think my left wrist is sprained.”

“Bad luck. Sit down. I could help you.”

Jonas frowned. “You sure you could? I prefer to wait for the nurse.”

The student rolled his eyes. “Yes, I could. Actually, I’m in charge of the infirmary until she comes back. So, please, just sit down.”

Jonas shut his mouth and sat on one of the infirmary’s bed. “Hey, I didn’t catch your name earlier.” Jonas tried desperately to start a conversation. He felt bad because he kind of put the other boy in doubt.

“My name is Erik Durm.” He replied while preparing the first aid kit. Jonas watched Erik closely. Come to think of it, Erik was beautiful for a boy. How come Jonas didn’t realize it from the start?

“Nice name, Erik.” Jonas grinned. Erik looked at him and frowned. “We’re not friend. Please don’t call me Erik.”

_The hell?_

It Jonas’ turn to frown. “You’re another student like me, right?”

“Yes.”

“What grade are you in?” Jonas asked curiously. Erik looked at him pointedly, but didn’t say anything. Then Erik stood in front of him and starting to treat his wrist. He put a pack of ice on it.

“Are you a freshman?” Jonas asked again with puppy eyes this time. He was desperate to know this boy and he knew he was a bit forward when he wanted to know someone.

Erik looked at Jonas’ face and sighed. “I’m a sophomore.”

“See?! I’m sophomore too.” Jonas said excitedly.

“So what?” Erik asked disinterested. “We’re friend on principle.” Jonas stated.

“We’re not.”

“We are. Come on Erik, don’t be so cold.”

“Don’t call me Erik.”

“I’ll call you whatever I want. Call me Hoffi.”

“No. Your left wrist is sprained badly, but you’re lucky it’s just a grade 1. What happened?” Erik asked. Jonas smirked. “Aww, you care about me?”

Erik sighed. “Forget it. I don’t want to know-“

“No! I’m sorry, please don’t stop talking.” Jonas cut him off and looked at him pitifully. Erik stared at him blankly and Jonas puffed his cheek. “I told you I fell from my bike.”

Erik shrugged. “You do seem like a clumsy type of person.”

“What? No. I fell because I tried not to hit a cat. I think I kind of daydreaming when suddenly there’s a grey cat in front of me. When I fell, I sprained my left wrist, so that’s it.”

“Try to be careful next time.” Erik advised. Jonas smiled widely and titled his head. “You worry about me? I’ll try my best to be careful then.”

Erik frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous. I worry if there will be another poor cat that will be hit for sure just because you daydreamed when you rode.”

Jonas pouted and looked at Erik pitifully. “Meanie.”

Erik restrained himself from smacking Jonas’ head even if he didn’t know this boy. He calmed himself and talked again. “Try not to move your wrist, and don’t forget to apply some ice packs for 10 to 15 minutes every 2 and 3 hours until the pain subdue.”

“Aye aye captain.”

“Just go Hofmann.”

Jonas frowned hearing Erik called him by his last name, but he shrugged it off. He would surely meet him again. “Okay, bye Erik!”

Erik was ready to scold Jonas for using his first name, but the boy had already gone. Erik sighed and muttered to himself. What a troubling boy.

.....

Jonas couldn’t stop smiling that day. He was cheerful person by general, but he looked a thousand times cheery today. His friends looked at him strangely when lunch time.

“Have you got laid? You seem to be in a good mood today.” Marco Reus said to him casually.

“You and your dirty mind. Of course not. I’m just happy, that’s all.” Jonas answered and shrugged his shoulders.

Jonas always sat with a bunch of his friends in lunch. There’s Matthias Ginter or Matze in the same year with him. Then Marco Reus, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, the Bender twins; Sven and Lars in junior year. Sometimes, senior like Mats Hummels, Neven Subotic, and Marcel Schmelzer came to join their table. Not today, apparently.

“Why are you so happy? Find someone new to torment?” Sven asked while he ate his french fries. Besides him, Lars looked grimly and tried to steal Sven’s food.

Jonas grinned and drank his juice slowly. “You could say that.”

“Who is it?” Auba asked curiously. Jonas smirked, “A cute boy named Erik Durm.”

“Erik Durm?” Matze piped in. Jonas shot his head towards him. “You know him?”

“I know him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Matze looked at him strangely. “Because you never asked?”

Jonas shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. How come I never see him?”

“He was a transfer student.”

“Since when?” Jonas asked curiously. Matze looked at his phone and cursed. “Shit. I have to go to the library right now.”

“What? I haven’t finish asking yet.” Jonas protested. “Bye, guys. See you later.” Matze said as he walked away hurriedly.

“Matze? Matze!” Jonas shouted with disbelief. “Why does Matze always go to the library in the lunch time?”

“Because he cares about his grade, not like you.” Lars said. Jonas pouted and squinted his eyes at him. “I care about my grade.”

“No, you’re not. As long as you pass, you don’t care about your grade.” Lars retorted.

Jonas scoffed and finished his juice. “You’re meaner today, Lars. Something happens?”

Sven tensed when he heard that, but he kept quiet and finished his fries. Lars glared at the table and got up abruptly. He took his bag and walked away. Jonas frowned seeing the way the Bender twins interacted today.

“Do you and Lars have a fight?” Jonas asked with concerned towards the younger twin. Sven shrugged and smiled weakly. “Don’t worry, it’s just a misunderstanding. I think I better follow him.”

Jonas nodded and watched as Sven went searching his twin. Then he shifted his attention towards Marco and Auba who whispered at each other like there’s no other people besides them. Jonas cleared his throat. Marco looked at him and irritatingly asked, “What?”

“Oh nothing. You see, our friend kind of have a fight right now, but I don’t think you realized because you are busy in your own world.” Jonas replied sarcastically. Marco rolled his eyes while Auba laughed.

“We know they have a fight, but it’s their problem. We shouldn’t interfere, Hoffi. We will help them if Lars or Sven asked for our opinion.” Marco said wisely.

“Or if both of them became a stubborn ass.” Auba piped. Marco rolled his eyes again. “Yes, or that.”

“But I couldn’t bear to see them ignored each other like that.” Jonas protested. Both Marco and Auba looked at him fondly. Jonas looked at them strangely and shuddered. “Stop looking at me like that.”

Marco sighed. “If I have a son someday, I want him like you Hoffi. Cheerful, kind, and caring.” Auba patted his shoulder while muttered, “Someday, baby, someday.”

Jonas flushed and glared at them. “Stop it. You are ridiculous.” Marco and Auba looked at his red face and bursted out laughing.

“Shut up.” Jonas sulked. Auba regained his composure first and asked with worry. “I just remember, you said your left wrist is sprained, right? How is it?”

Jonas grinned. “I’m okay. It’s not painful anymore.”

“You should be more careful, Hoffi.” Marco frowned. Jonas rolled his eyes. “Yes, dad.”

Before Marco could retort, Jonas got up and waved at them cheerfully. “I’m coming to my class. See you later.”

Marco and Auba watched him sauntered off and sighed. “Our boy is growing up.” Marco whined.

“Don’t worry. Let’s find another son.”

“Crazy.”

XXX

In the period of three days, Jonas knew a lot of things about Erik Durm. He felt like a stalker because of that, but he shrugged it off. It’s not like he didn’t want to ask Erik directly, but fate wasn’t in his favor. He never met Erik in the school ground, and that’s weird. So, Jonas started to ask here and there about Erik Durm.

Now, he knew that Erik Durm was born in May 12th. He moved from Mainz and he seemed to know a way not to meet with Jonas anywhere. He voluntered in the school infirmary every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He had one class with Matze and none with Jonas. People said that he was hanging around with Roman Bürki, who was in junior year, sometimes. A girl said he had a cat while her friend said dog instead, but that’s not relevant.

So, here’s Jonas on the Thursday morning, hanging around in front of the school infirmary. He took a deep breath and knocked at the door. Then he heard a boy shouted at him to come in. Jonas opened the door anxiously and met with Erik’s beautiful face. He felt like oxygen left his lungs, but he tried to grin.

“You again, Hofmann?” Erik asked with disbelief. Jonas felt himself grinned wider and couldn’t help but teased him. “Aww, you remember me?”

Erik sighed. “I remember everyone that came to the infirmary.”

Jonas pouted slightly. “I’m not that special?”

“No, you’re not.”

“You’re mean. Why are you always here in the morning anyway?”

Erik shrugged and resumed his task before Jonas came in. “I help Nurse Maggie because I have an afternoon class today.”

Jonas sat down on the infirmary’s bed before he talked again. “You’re so kind, and you seemed to be know a lot about medicine and stuffs.”

“I want to go to medical school, and I use my spare time to practice as much as possible.”

“You’re amazing.” Jonas whispered softly. Erik flushed and cleared his throat before he stared at Jonas. “I forgot to ask; why are you here?”

Jonas shrugged and thrust his left hand forward. “I want you to check my wrist.”

Erik frowned. “Is it not healing well? Do you still feel pained?” Jonas shook his head hurriedly. “No. I just want it to be checked. I don’t feel any pain, but I don’t know if it’s healing well or not.”

Erik moved towards Jonas’ stretched hand and touched his wrist gently. Jonas held his breath and tried not to embarrass himself in front of Erik.

“It’s healing well actually. Your wrist will heal completely next week.” Erik muttered. Jonas stared at him and flushed when Erik stared back at him. “You okay, Hofmann?”

“W- what? Yeah yeah I’m okay.” Jonas stuttered. Erik looked at him with disbelief. “You sure?”

“I’m sure. It’s nothing.”

“Whatever you say.” Erik said as he released Jonas’ wrist. Jonas prevented himself from whining because the sudden lost of contact. Erik got back to do whatever he did and left Jonas staring at his back.

“Thank you, Erik.” Jonas muttered. Erik sighed but didn’t turn his body. “I told you not to call me Erik.”

“And I told you to call me Hoffi.”

“No way.”

“Why? Why are you so adamant about your name?” Jonas asked curiously. Erik turned his head and stared pointedly towards Jonas. “I just don’t like it when stranger calls my name.”

Jonas tried his best to look hurtful. “Am I a stranger to you?”

“Of course you are. I don’t even know you.”

“Ouch, Erik, ouch. Do you have any idea how hurtful your words are?”

“I think I have. Now, you free to go.”

Jonas thought for a second and decided to surrender. He still had a lot of time to convince Erik about their relationship. “Okay then, I’m going. Once again, thanks a lot, Erik.”

Erik didn’t bother to answer him.

....

Jonas sulked for the entire day after that. He didn’t admit it, but one look at his face and the entire of his friends knew that something’s wrong with him.

“You okay, little Hoffi?” Mats asked with concern. Jonas looked at him pitifully and muttered ‘nothing’.

“You’re sulking.” Neven stated. Marcel was no where to be found, Lars and Sven had a detention, and Marco went to the run track to watch his boyfriend aka Auba practicing.

Matze looked at him curiously. “Is it about Erik?” Jonas glared at him. “Why do you call him ‘Erik’?”

Matze frowned. “Because his name is Erik?” Jonas sulked back. “He doesn’t want me to call him Erik, said he didn’t like it when stranger said his name. And here you call him Erik in front of my face.”

Matze winced. Both Mats and Neven looked at Jonas amused.

“Why did he let you call him by his name?” Jonas asked curiously. Matze scratched his nape and looked at Jonas apologetically. “Okay, I just told you this once, and I don’t give you a right to question me about it. Got it?”

Jonas nodded eagerly while Matze sighed. “Erik and I were a childhood friend, that’s why he let me call him by his name. He doesn’t mind it if his childhood friends who call him Erik.”

Jonas, plus Mats and Neven who heard the whole conversation, frowned. “What’s that to do with anything?”

Matze shook his head. “Remember, you can’t ask a question. But the thing is, if you really want to know, you have to hear it from Erik directly. I’m sure you could open up his heart.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“No question, remember.”

“Ugh, I hate you Matze.” Jonas groaned while Matze grinned.

Mats and Neven snickered and decided to change the topic. “By the way, what did Lars and Sven have a detention for?” Mats asked curiously. As long as he knows them, they never got into trouble. Not together anyway.

“According to Marco, Lars and Sven had a shouting match in the library.” Jonas replied.

Neven widened his eyes. “No way, Marco went to the library?”

Mats looked at him irritatingy. “That’s not the point, Nev.” Neven shrugged. “I just surprised that Marco went to the library, that’s all.”

“Still not the point. The Bender twins just had a fight.” Matze piped in. “They’ll be okay, right?” Jonas asked concernly. Mats smiled at him and replied convincingly. “Of course.”

“Speaking of Marco, where is he? Skipping class?” Neven asked again. Matze rolled his eyes. “Marco is on the track field with Auba.”

“Oh, Auba will have a running competition next month, right?” Mats asked.

“Yes, that’s why Marco is with him right now. Be his motivator, I think.” Jonas scoffed.

Mats chuckled. “I’m just glad that Marco became his cheerful self again.” Neven grinned. “You’re right. They’re both deserve each other.”

Jonas tuned out the conversation around him and thought about Erik again. There’s so many things that strange about Erik. Why he didn’t want to be called Erik by stranger, why Jonas never saw Erik except in the infirmary, and why Matze said that he should ask Erik directly. Jonas felt his head hurt because of that. Determining to get to know Erik better, Jonas made a plan.

XXX

On Monday, Jonas grinned and came into the infirmary with another wound. Again. Erik kind of glare at him, but Jonas just shrugged.

“Are you sure you’re not a clumsy person?” Erik questioned him with disbelief.

“It’s not my fault, okay. I didn’t see there’s a broken glass in my table.” Jonas defended himself. Erik stared at him pointedly. “How come you didn’t see a broken glass?”

“The glass wasn’t big enough, I barely saw it. The next thing I know, my right palm was bleeding.” Jonas knew that his excuse sounded lame, but he didn’t care. He found a way to meet Erik again, and he would take his chance.

Erik sighed and motioned Jonas to sit in the chair in front of the table. Instead of obeyed his command, Jonas sat on the bed. Erik glared at him but he came in front of Jonas and started to clean his wound. Jonas hissed when the alcohol touched his skin.

“Easy, there. It’s just an alcohol.” Erik tried to calm him. Jonas scoffed. “Easy for you to say, it’s not your palm that bleeding.”

“It’s your own fault in the first place. Stop whining.”

“I’m not whining.”

“You are. Lucky for you, it doesn’t need stitches.”

Jonas titled his head. “Do you always tried to sound positive in every situation?”

Jonas could see that Erik tensed in front him, but he didn’t know why. “What?” Erik asked softly.

“The first time I was here, you said that I was lucky the sprain was just grade 1. Now, you said that I was lucky I didn’t need stitches.” Jonas explained. Erik kept silent until he finished tending Jonas’ wound.

“I’m telling the truth.” Erik whispered. Jonas looked at him with a confused expression. “I’m not trying to sound positive. I’m just telling the truth.” Erik clarified as he turned around from Jonas.

Jonas stared at Erik’s back and tried to make a decision. Seeing Erik got trouble all of sudden, Jonas decided to gave him his space.

“Thanks again, Erik.” Jonas muttered.

Erik sighed. “I told you not to-“

“-call you Erik. I know. But I will keep calling you Erik, whether you like it or not.”

Erik turned his head and looked at him with surprised expression. Jonas grinned and waved at him before he went away.

....

Every week since that day, Jonas came to the infirmary regularly. A bruise on Wednesday, a cut on Thursday, and a burn on Monday. Erik kept glaring at him and scolded him for being so careless, but Jonas responded with a grin. Erik still called him Hofmann, but he stopped telling Jonas not to call him by his name. Jonas saw that as a good development.

Jonas knew he pushed a boundary of Erik’s private life. He couldn’t help but kept going to know more about Erik. He still didn’t know why Erik hated it when stranger called him with his name. But Jonas wasn’t a stranger anymore, right? Or was he?

Jonas was so busy daydreaming that he didn’t realize his friends had been staring at him in the past five minutes. He was jolted out from his thought when he felt a hand pinched his left cheek.

“Aww, stop it. What are you doing?” Jonas scolded Marco who looked at him with disapproval. “You had been daydreaming all day, Hoffi. What’s wrong with you?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s about the boy that you have a crush to, isn’t it?” Auba piped in. Jonas flushed and bowed his head.

“That Durm boy?” Marco asked seriously.

“I do not have a crush.” Jonas replied weakly. Marco, Auba, and the Bender twins all stared at him with disbelief. Jonas tried to shrink himself and avoided his friends’ stares.

“Is that why you keep hurting yourself? Because of that boy?” Sven asked solemnly. Jonas looked like a deer in the headlights and stared at his food instead.

“We know that you hurt yourself to find a reason to visit infirmary. We kept silent until now because we thought that it wouldn’t be a regular thing.” Sven continued.

“But it’s clearly getting out of hand.” Auba stated.

“No, it’s not. I know what I’m doing.” Jonas defended himself. His friends looked at him with concern until Lars spoke up. “You don’t know what you’re doing, Hoffi. You hurt yourself just to see him. Stop it. And try to talk to him without hurting yourself first.”

“I don’t know if I can, okay. He clearly avoiding me, he just looked at me when I’m wounded-“

“Then he’s not worthy of your time.” Lars retorted.

“Lars!” Sven scolded his older brother. Jonas looked distraught. “Don’t say bad thing about Erik. I know he’s a good guy, he just have a wall around himself that I need to break.”

Marco slung his arm around Jonas’ shoulder and tried to calm him down. “We know you like that boy, Hoffi. We don’t ask you to abandon your feeling for him. We just ask you to stop hurting yourself.”

“If he cares about you, he would listen to you, wounded or not.” Auba added. Jonas looked at them with gratitude in his eyes. He smiled and said softly, “I’ll try to talk to him tomorrow. He would be in the infirmary.”

.....

The next day Jonas came into the infirmary, Erik wasn’t there. Nurse Maggie said that Erik couldn’t help in the infirmary anymore because of his new schedule. Jonas knew it was a lie, but he smiled and said thanks to the nurse.

.....

First time Erik saw Jonas, he didn’t have a hunch that this cute boy could break the wall that he put around himself. He saw Jonas as a troubling boy at first, who sprained his left wrist to save a cat, and didn’t hear anything he said about not to call him by his name. He saw Jonas as another students that came into the infirmary once in a while. He certainly didn’t expect Jonas to came again and asked him to check his wrist. And he certainly wasn’t sure how Jonas became a regular in the infirmary.

Erik didn’t realize since when, but he knew that he was falling hard for Jonas. He started to expect Jonas’ visit to the infirmary, he gave his full attention to Jonas’ stories about his cat, Carlos, and he even didn’t mind it when Jonas called him Erik.

Seeing Jonas who came into infirmary with a wound but grin on his face, Erik realized another matter. Jonas hurt himself intentionally to meet him. Part of him was astonished that there’s someone who would do something so far just to seek his attention, but part of him blamed himself to let things went this far. The guilt was eating him, so he did something to stop it. He stopped helping in the infirmary, if only just to stop Jonas for hurting himself. Hoffi, his mind supplied.

.....

Jonas came into the library hurriedly to find Matze. He knew that he would find Matze here. He needed to ask him something. Jonas scanned row after row until he found someone particular. He approached him hurriedly.

“Matze! I need your help.” Jonas asked out of breath. Matze startled to see him and shushed him. “Don’t shout, Hoffi. What’s wrong?”

“Please tell me where’s the place Erik usually go, I need to talk to him right now.”

Matze looked surprised and hesitated to say anything, so Jonas looked at him in the eyes and begged, “Please, Matze.”

Matze took a deep breath and whispered to him. “You know the oak tree across the school field?”

Jonas frowned. “Is there any oak tree across the school field?”

Matze clucked his tongue. “Yes, it is. It’s hidden between the pines, go find it. Erik will be there.”

“Thanks Matze.”

Matze patted his shoulder before he ran to find the oak tree.

.....

Jonas ran and crossed the school field until he arrived at the border of the school. He panted and walked slowly towards the group of pine trees.

“Oak tree, oak tree, oak tree..” Jonas muttered to himself as he searched for the said tree. He finally found the oak tree and shouted Erik’s name.

Erik startled when he heard someone calling his name. He got up abruptly and surprised when he saw Jonas panted not to far away in front of him.

“Found you.” Jonas grinned while he was trying to catch his breath. Erik couldn’t help the small smile when he saw the stubborn boy. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk.”

Erik could felt his body stiffened and looked at Jonas coldly. “About what, Hofmann?”

Jonas flinched hearing Erik’s tone, but he kept standing at his place. “About us."

Erik scoffed. “There’s nothing between us.”

Jonas ignored his words and started asking question. “Why I couldn’t call you with your name?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Why do you stop helping in the infirmary?”

“I got a new schedules and-“

“Liar! Tell me the truth.”

“Fine! I want you to stop hurting yourself okay. I know what you did-“

“Then see me!”

Erik startled and looked at Jonas confusedly. “What?”

“You want me to stop hurting myself, then I asked you to see me. I’m here, and I’m trying so hard to catch your attention. But you never see me.”

“I always see you.” Erik defended himself.

Jonas shook his head and laughed bitterly. “No, you’re not. You never see that I desperately seeking your attention. You never see that I tried so hard to make you open up to me, to break the wall you make around yourself. You never see me, Erik, never.”

Erik felt like there’s a lump in his throat when he heard Jonas said that. He could see the raw emotion in Jonas’ eyes, the desperation, the fear, and rejection. Erik shook his head. “You don’t understand, _Hoffi_.”

“Then make me understand. You owe me an explanation, at least.”

Erik pulled his hair frustrated and sat down against the oak tree. He motioned Jonas to sat besides him. Jonas obeyed without words and waited for Erik to speak.

Erik took a deep breath several times before he spoke softly. “I hate it when stranger call my name because it reminds me about someone.

It was my best friend, Julian. He was a stranger first until he wasn’t. Julian was just another boy in my class. I was in elementary school back then. I was shy and alone most of the time. But then there was a boy who always called my name until I couldn’t bear it anymore and snapped at him to stop calling me. Julian just laughed and shook my hands. Then slowly, he became my best friend.”

Jonas could hear Erik’s voice cracked. He watched Erik intently while Erik stared right to the front, as if he tried to remember.

“What happen to Julian?” Jonas asked softly.

Erik’s breathing getting harsher, but he continued. “We had a fight. I was so angry at him, and I crossed the street carelessly. You can guess what happened afterwards.”

Jonas felt it’s getting hard to swallow but he guessed. “Julian saved you from an accident?”

Erik laughed humorlessly, tears flowing freely from his eyes. “He died in my arms. I said to him that it would be okay, and he just smiled and kept repeating my name. Ironically, I don’t even remember what was the fight about.”

Jonas tore his eyes away from Erik and bowed his head. Besides him, Erik cried silently. Jonas cleared his throat before he spoke. “It’s not your fault.”

Erik stared at him with hollow. “How come it’s not my fault?”

“If you were in his position, you would do the same. He said your name because you’re the most important person in his life. Don’t you see?”

Erik shook his head slowly. “Even if what you said is true, I couldn’t stop blaming myself.”

Jonas smiled softly. “No, you won’t. The blame is a reminder that you really care for him. But I think he would be sad to see you right now, don’t you think?”

Erik looked at him confusedly, so Jonas continued. “He tried so hard to make you accept his presence as your best friend. But he was also the one who made you close yourself from other people. It’s like he made one important step, but he made a thousand step back.”

Erik pulled his hair and sniffed. “So what should I do, Hoffi? What should I do to make the pain stop?”

Jonas looked at him and smiled genuinely. “Try to keep a happy memories about him. Think what he would do if he saw you like this right now.”

Erik chuckled. “He would kill me because I back to become a lonesome boy.”

Jonas chuckled alongside him. “I think so. Do you feel better?”

Erik stared at Jonas and smiled softly. “Much better, thanks Hoffi.”

Jonas laughed freely. Erik looked at him strangely. “What’s so funny?”

“You finally call me Hoffi.” Jonas replied cheerfully.

Erik chuckled and shook his head. “I couldn’t believe it, I feel better because a stubborn boy who didn’t stop bugging me to call his name.”

Jonas grinned. “Does it mean that your wall was crumbling down?”

Erik smiled. “A part of it maybe. But not fully, not yet.”

“Can I ask you one question?” Jonas asked hopefully. Erik chuckled again and stared at him playfully. “Go on.”

“Can I be your friend now?”

Erik stared at him and smiled genuinely.

“Yes, you can, Hoffi.”

XXX  


**Author's Note:**

> How is it?  
> I swear it's supposed to be humor/fluff.  
> But, music has a great impact in my mood and here it is.  
> And that new Flash episode make me crazy.  
> Thanks for reading, giving a comment, and leaving kudos.  
> I love you guys.


End file.
